Hire your first employee

1. 1

   Get the background

   A quick read before you start, so you know what good looks like.

   Guides & editorial

   How to Start a Business With AI

   Start a business with AI: target real pains, pre-sell, ship a tiny no-code MVP, price on outcomes, iterate fast, and use AskZyro to accelerate everything.

   SaveRead guide →

   Guides & editorial

   Common Mistakes When Naming A Business

   Read the guide on AskZyro.

   SaveRead guide →
2. 2

   Find and screen candidates

   Posting widely and screening consistently gets you a strong shortlist without reading every CV by hand.

   After this step: A ranked shortlist ready to interview.

   

   HR & Recruiting

   Workable

   Recruiting and HR platform for growing companies — applicant tracking, sourcing, AI recruiting agents, onboarding and HR records in one place.

   Free trial · $299/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: Small and mid-sized companies that hire regularly and want a structured applicant tracking system, AI sourcing and screening, and optionally an HR system for onboarding and employee records.

   Consider another option if: You hire only one or two people a year (pricing is a fixed monthly fee by headcount), you're a very small company on a tight budget, or you need enterprise-grade ATS customisation for thousands of hires.

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3. 3

   Pay them properly

   Payroll and tax mistakes are expensive — pick the right tool for where your employee is based.

   After this step: Payroll set up for your country, or an employer of record abroad.

   

   HR & Recruiting

   Gusto

   Full-service US payroll with built-in HR — unlimited pay runs, automatic tax filings, benefits, time tracking and contractor payments for small businesses.

   Paid · $49/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: US small businesses that want reliable, full-service payroll with automatic tax filings, plus benefits, time tracking and HR tools as they grow.

   Consider another option if: Your business and employees are outside the US (Gusto employee payroll is US-only), you only need an HR system without payroll, or you have a very large workforce needing enterprise payroll.

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)

   

   Finance & Accounting

   Xero

   Cloud accounting with no per-user fees — bank reconciliation, invoicing, VAT and Making Tax Digital, payroll and the JAX AI assistant.

   Paid · £7/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: UK, Australian and New Zealand small businesses — and US businesses that value a large app ecosystem — that want proper cloud bookkeeping, VAT or sales tax, and free access for their team and accountant.

   Consider another option if: You send more than 20 invoices a month but want to pay entry-level prices (Ignite and Early cap invoices), you need US payroll included in the subscription (it's a Gusto add-on), or you only need simple invoicing.

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   HR & Recruiting

   Deel

   Global hiring and payroll platform — pay contractors in 150+ countries, employ staff abroad without a local entity via EOR, and run payroll and HR in one place.

   Paid · $49/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: Companies of any size — including UK and other non-US businesses — that hire or pay contractors and employees in other countries and don't want to set up local entities.

   Consider another option if: You only hire employees in your own country (a local payroll provider is far cheaper), you have just one or two local contractors, or you already have entities and local payroll partners in every country you hire in.

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)
4. 4

   Onboard and manage

   Good onboarding, clear policies and organised records make new hires productive and keep you compliant.

   After this step: Onboarding, policies and employee records in place.

   

   HR & Recruiting

   BambooHR

   HR software for small and mid-sized businesses — employee records, onboarding, time off, performance and an AI assistant, with US payroll and benefits add-ons.

   Free trial · $250/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: Small and mid-sized businesses, especially in the US, that want an easy HR system for employee records, onboarding, time off and performance — with optional payroll and benefits in the same platform.

   Consider another option if: You have only a handful of employees (the $250-a-month minimum is steep), you need payroll or benefits for employees outside the US, or recruiting is your main need (dedicated ATS tools go deeper).

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)

   Business & Productivity

   SOP Generator

   Generate detailed SOPs for any business process instantly.

   Freemium · Usage limits may apply· Beginner-friendly

   SaveOpen tool →

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